Scientific background of the BTEC

The BTEC L2 Driving and Driver Education was written by Driving Force Ltd experts in driver training and education.

The BTEC is based upon the Goals for Driver Education Matrix (Hatakka et al, 2002). The GDE Matrix was adopted by the European Union as part of the Hermes Project in Driver Coaching in 2010 as a framework on which to base all driver education.

The GDE Matrix lays out the necessary content of a driver education course and importantly includes driver self-evaluation and journey and personality issues, which are not covered in a standard driving test or course of lessons.

In order to create self-evaluating drivers it is necessary to use coaching techniques not known to most UK driving instructors, who have traditionally been trained in instructional techniques only. Driver coaching techniques have been shown to increase levels of key skills such as situational judgment and accurate risk perception (Deery, 1999, Keating, 2007). Attitude and behaviour change are also more likely if driver education deals with subjective and social norms, particularly with regards to young drivers (Engstrom et al., 2003).

BTEC in-car tutors have been specially selected based on their ability to follow coaching techniques where appropriate and receive continual training and quality assurance not available to most independently working driving instructors.

Research also shows that extending learning periods reduces crash risk (McKnight & Peck, 2002, Williams, 2007, Keating, 2007 and TRL, 2013). By supplying young people with a 60 hour course over an academic year the BTEC is ensuring that learning takes place over an extended period, even if a student passes their practical test before completing the course. Extended learning periods ensure that students have time in between sessions to reflect on their learning and allows for ideas and knowledge to become imbedded in memory and have been shown to lower crash risk amongst students who take advantage of them by up to 40% (Gregersen et al., 2000).

Durkin & Tolmie (2010) conducted a review of young driver attitudes and behaviours for the UK government. They made multiple suggestions for young driver education in the UK, 5 of their key suggestions were:

Education should focus on perceived benefits of safe driving more than perceived risk

It should publicise the positive behaviours of adolescents and portray peer-norms as pro-safety

The ’real nature’ of driver competence should be promoted

That adolescents should be provided with the opportunity to evaluate each other’s safety levels and in how to raise concerns about others driving

Educational interventions should develop broad ranging strategies that take into account the multiple influences of young people’s orientation towards driving

The BTEC level 2 Driving and Driver Education follows all of Durkin and Tolmies (2010) suggestions above and more. It is the only course of it’s kind to offer 60 hours of education and practical coaching and as such it is the leading schools based driver education programme in the UK.

* In addition Nottinghamshire Road Safety Partnership conducted it’s own research into young driver and passenger behaviours prior to launching the BTEC. This was a replication of earlier research conducted by the Gloucestershire Road Safety Partnership and the Research Box (GRSP, 2013). Both studies found very strong similarities in the behaviours engaged in by young drivers and passengers suggesting that in-car behavioural risks are not limited to certain geographical areas. To download the full Nottinghamshire report click here.

Evaluation

The BTEC will be scientifically evaluated based on the courses ability to increase self-evaluation skills from pre-course to post-course levels. Going forward we wish to be able to measure post-test violation and crash rates in order to compare against the national average.

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For further information Call: 0115 876 5281 or Email: road.safety@nottinghamcity.gov.uk